VMAS 2017

Taylor Swift Mocks Her Reputation in “Look What You Made Me Do” Music Video

So this is what you made her do. After a frenzied single release and endless memes, Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” video is finally here. And it’s . . . something. The visual premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by Swift’s enemy, Katy Perry—and just like the previews promised, the video was heavy on snake imagery, and even heavier on reputation-mocking, posing Swift as a pop villain who’s well aware of what everyone thinks of her.

The singer, whose forthcoming album Reputation boasts a presumably darker image for Swift that will be just a few shades light of Hot Topic, delivered what she promised—a luxe video to accompany the semi-shady lyricism of her single. The video, directed by previous collaborator Joseph Kahn—who helmed much of the 1989 music video era—features Swift poking some heavy-handed fun at the typical criticism that comes her way: she plays the victim too much, her much-Instagrammed girl gang is too picture-perfect, her surprise face is annoying as hell.

Now, for what you’re really wondering—does the video actually crib visuals from Beyoncé’s incomparable “Formation” music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, as Twitter feared it would? Not really! That moment that folks were originally mocking on social media is but a brief moment in the video, comprised mostly of Swift throwing out some gangly dance moves, thronged by dancers in “I Heart T.S.” tank tops—a reference to that Tom Hiddleston tank of yore.